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History Of Greek Mathematics

            The Greeks view mathematics as a very important aspect of life, education and view it as a necessary tool to help assist in the forward progress of technology. To show how the Greeks view the concept of mathematics, dissect the word. The word mathema is a noun from the verb manthano meaning a subject connected with learning. When broken down into its two main branches, arithmetic and geometry , which mean respectively study of numbers and the measuring of the earth. The name algebra itself is Arabic , though the Greek mathematician Diophantus developed it in some depth. Mathematics were viewed as a very important skill that must be learned in order to function properly in society, although in this day in age it has seemed to fall to a lower level.
             Philosophers of the Ionian school are considered to be the first Greeks to study mathematics in great detail. These Greek philosophers date back to the sixth and fifth centuries B.C. Questions were asked about the earth and the universe and mathematics were extensively used to try to answer these questions. It is said that Thales, the founder of the school was actually able to use geometry to predict a total eclipse of the sun over western Asia Minor. These philosophers were said to have used geometry more than Egyptians. Thales was said to have come up with these four basic principles. 1) a circle .
             is bisected by its diameter. 2) The angles at the base of an isosceles triangle are equal. 3) two intersecting straight lines form two pairs of equal angles. 4) An angle inscribed in a semicircle is a right angle.
             Pythagoras was said to have emigrated to the southern tip of Italy at about 531 B.C. and set up a community of mathematicians. Although today Pythagoras is best known for his famous theorem, it is quite possible that his most lavish accomplishment is the mathematical basis of musical intervals. Pythagoras's theorem which states that the square of the hypotenuse of a right triangles is equal the sum of the squares of the other two sides was actually said to be thought of by Babylonian mathematicians from earlier times.


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